An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Ring

by Friedrich Kluge

Ring, masculine, ‘ring, circle, link,’ from Middle High German rinc (genitive ringes), Old High German ring, earlier hring, masculine. ‘ring, hoop, circular object’; compare Old Saxon hring, Dutch ring, Anglo-Saxon hring, English ring, Old Icelandic hringr, masculine. The common Teutonic word, which implies a casually non-existent Gothic *hriggs, denoted a circle, and everything of a circular form. Pre-Teutonic krengho- appears also in the corresponding Old Slovenian krągŭ, masculine, ‘circle,’ krąglŭ, ‘round.’ From the Teutonic word, which also signifies ‘assembly’ (grouped in a circle), are derived the Romance cognates, Italian aringo, ‘rostrum,’ French harangue, ‘public speech,’ and French rang.